1,413,870
OU-certified products
62,336
random audits (in addition to hashgachah temidis)
116
countries with OU-certified facilities
OU KOSHER
STRENGTHENING KASHRUT STANDARDS
VISIT OU KOSHER
Private label products — that is, store brands — are produced by third-party manufacturers but sold by retailers under their own brand names. Today, the private label lines of many top retailers feature substantial numbers of OU Koshercertified products, which cater not only to Jewish consumers but a broader audience interested in quality and transparency as well. The surge only underscores the importance and trustworthiness of OU Kosher certification.
From academia to medicine, OU Kosher continues to expand its educational outreach. Serving as a vital bridge between OU Kosher and the wider Jewish community, this initiative provides resources, programming and events that illuminate the intricacies of kashrus and Jewish law.
Engaging with individuals, schools and institutions, we have facilitated more than 70 programs across the U.S. and Israel. Notably, OU Kosher taught more than 1,000 people in-person last year, and a pre-Pesach continuing education webinar for medical professionals, conducted with Touro University/New York Medical College, hosted more than 200 participants.
"Wherever possible, we want to be certified OU on our cans because we want to make sure everyone knows our products meet the highest standards."
The 2024 ASK OU Kashrus Education Program delivered indepth seminars on certification to more than 90 participants from the U.S., Canada and Panama. The program, consisting of a weeklong course and a three-week internship, offered hands-on experience through visits to food processing plants and OU headquarters. Highlights included Commander Rabbi Aaron Kleinman’s “Kosher at Sea” session — in which he explored the unique issues and challenges of keeping kosher while serving in the U.S. Navy, including preparing a postRosh Hashanah meal on a nonkosher aircraft carrier — and presentations from experts like Rabbi Hershel Schachter, senior posek (halachic authority) for OU Kosher and Rabbi Moshe Elefant, OU Kosher’s chief of operations.
Rabbi Eli Eleff — rabbinic coordinator and and managing director, community relations, who oversees the program’s community relations — emphasized the goal of showcasing practical kashrus applications and educating the next generation of supervisors. Participants explored a range of topics, from Shabbos appliances to industrial kashering. Their feedback was strongly positive, with many praising the program’s depth and practical approach.
"The presentations and field trips offered a glimpse into OU Kosher’s fascinating work, and I was particularly moved by the ambience, professionalism and support at all levels that I observed at OU headquarters."
This daily newsletter services more than 15,000 subscribers with Q&As on the laws of kashrus and daily living. Subscribers are encouraged to send in their own questions on kashrus issues.
Five of the questions viewed most often on the site during the past year were:
OU Kosher’s 30th annual Kashrus Conference brought together more than 120 of our rabbinic coordinators and RFRs — who are stationed in Israel, Europe, North and South America and the Far East — along with 50 international rabbanim. The event featured presentations from organizational leaders, including OU Kosher CEO Rabbi Menachem Genack and COO Rabbi Moshe Elefant, on key halachic and practical topics, such as international travel safety and kosher identifiers (simanim).
The OU’s network of 850 RFRs often work remotely, so the conference provided an invaluable opportunity for attendees to connect and strengthen their shared mission of upholding kosher food integrity. And, for the first time, we welcomed representatives from other kashrus agencies, such as Kof-K and STAR-K, emphasizing a commitment to collaboration when it comes to maintaining kosher standards worldwide
The OU Kosher IT team has developed a mobile app to support our rabbinic field representatives (RFRs) as they handle the complexities of their inspections. Our RFRs face a variety of situations that demand various features, including offline mode for plants without Wi-Fi, photo markup, GPS navigation and ingredient management, to ensure efficient inspections and timely reports to headquarters.
